Bittersweet
by Acantha Rayne Oak-Moon
Summary: The beginning of my 'The Memoirs of Minerva McGonagall' Series. The romance, angst and drama of Dorcas Meadowes' and Caradoc Dearborn's love life throughout the first Wizarding War. Young love, a little mystery, a family curse, a heartbreaking separation and a fluffy but bittersweet reunion - eventually.


**Challenges**

_**The Marauder's Era Prompt Challenge**_

(by , Harry Potter FanFiction Challenges Forum, Prompt Challenges)

Prompt #81: Pairing Dorcas Meadowes and Caradoc Dearborn

_**Barbequed Muggle Kebobs Event (June)**_

(By Bellatrix the Insane, Morsmodre Forum)

Plate Prompt: Dialogue/Quote: "Why would I use a litter box? Only _muggles_ do that."

_**The Crayola Colour Challenge**_

(by Dragon MoonX, Harry Potter FanFiction Challenges Forum, Prompt Challenges)

Prompt: Bittersweet

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**A/N: I'm completely nuts. I am taking on three challenges with this fic – challenges which are outlined above, but I love this idea. Canon states that Dorcas Meadowes was killed by Voldemort himself and that Caradoc Dearborn disappeared without a trace – presumed dead; with this fic, I am showing my belief that that was not the case.**

**Please Enjoy.**

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Bittersweet

_Chapter 1_

_With the exception of Severus Snape and later, Hermione Granger, Dorcas Meadowes was possibly the most brilliant students I have ever had the pleasure of teaching; she practically inhaled books as though they were oxygen. She mastered spells in hours, rather than days and could turn a wasp into a willow better than even myself. She was of course, one of my lovely Gryffindor cubs and became Head Girl in her seventh year, alongside her best friend, Caradoc Dearborn; Head Boy and Quidditch Captain._

_Years later when I met Miss Granger, I did consider for a long time that they were in some way related but knowing Hermione to be a muggleborn, I eventually dismissed the idea. Even if both witches share the exact same shade of chocolate coloured eyes and hair that defied brush, spell and potion alike; it was just a coincidence._

_Dorcas had had quite the tragic life; losing her mother at the time of her birth and being raised by her Uncle Argus when her father had chosen to end his life, unable to cope with the loss of his wife. Dorcas never got to know them of course and remained in the care of her uncle, Argus Filch; a highly unpleasant man whom had been riddled with jealousy by his sister's magic when he discovered he had none of his own. Over the years that jealousy turned into self-loathing and poor Argus became more and more twisted with hate upon the death of his sister, especially when he was forced into the role of caregiver to his one-year-old niece._

_Mister Dearborn on the other hand had been trained in the etiquettes of pure-blooded society from day one. He was the oldest of three siblings but the only one I taught personally; his younger brother choosing Durmstrang for his studies and his sister gaining her education across the Atlantic at Illvermorny in America. _

_Caradoc was a mostly 'E' student in comparison to Dorcas's permanent 'O' grade average but he was a whiz on the Quidditch pitch and for the two years that he and James Potter were Chasers, Gryffindor never lost a match. Oh, how I loved the team we had then. Of course when Caradoc graduated, Potter kept the team mostly at the top of the House table for another two years but it wasn't the same. Dearborn had the agility and reflexes of a cat when he was on that broom._

_I am quite proud to say that I became a confidant to both Dorcas and Caradoc during their final years at Hogwarts and they had both confessed their romantic feelings for the other to me. Of course, the staff knew that these two meant more to each other than what they allowed themselves to show to the other. It is impossible to spend so much time around hormonal teenagers and not recognise the difference between the lust that plagues them all and true emotional connections. James and Lily Potter had it too, much to the annoyance of Severus Snape. It was such a shame for poor Severus, to have his love so unrequited, like that; at least after all he went through, he finally found happiness. I'll get to his story another time, as soon as he lets me tell it – insufferably stubborn, private man. _

_As a cat animagus, I have overheard many things that perhaps I should not have knowledge of but it is too late to worry about that now. During the summer following Dorcas and Caradoc's graduation, I went to visit Argus Filch, his sister had been a friend of mine at school and so after her death, it felt important to keep an eye on her brother and he raised her daughter, especially as he lacked magical gifts and I knew what was to come. I like to think he was grateful for my visits, even if he didn't show it. _

Dorcas sat at the rickety kitchen table in her Uncle Argus's slightly uncared for kitchen with her best friend of seven years, Caradoc. They had been best friends since she saved his life from an out of control potion in their first year – a potion that would've made his body erupt in fur – you don't want that at eleven years old, especially in front of a girl you thought was brilliant.

She sat with a relaxed posture, forearms resting on the table and her wild tortoise-shell coloured curly hair left loose to frame her heart shaped face. There was worry in her eyes though every time she glanced at Caradoc's face. They were waiting to see owls fly toward the house with exam results and so they both sat quietly, nervously sipping at bottles of pumpkin juice, stealing glances at one another and at the kitchen window.

Dorcas was confident in her results but there was always going to be a little anxiety in the wait to be sure she had done well. Caradoc was quite obviously not as confident and she could practically hear his thoughts berating himself for spending so much more time on the Quidditch pitch instead of studying.

"It'll be fine, Cad. We'll both get the results we want and you're going to make an amazing Auror." Dorcas said finally, unable to stand the way he was peeling the label off his bottle from the anxiety.

His shoulders seemed to relax at her words but when his dark blue eyes, bluer than the sapphires in the Ravenclaw hourglass looked at her, the fear of his dreams being dashed at any moment were deeply ingrained in their depths.

"You're right. I know you're right Cass. It's just… if I don't get the results I need to become and Auror, how can I expect Dumbledore to let me help him fight… You-Know-Who?" Caradoc replied, his anxiety evident in his voice.

Caradoc felt it was his duty to help the very powerful Headmaster in his never-ending quest to stop Voldemort. The problem was that as much as he felt that sense of duty, he felt other things too, and these other things were holding him back from committing to the cause. He couldn't be away from her – he just couldn't. Unfortunately, he couldn't just blurt out that he was in love with her either; what if it ruined their friendship? He'd prioritise that above all else.

"Cad, look," she sighed, taking both his hands that lay on the table with hers, "I know you're scared, we both are; but no matter what happens you will always have me," she comforted. The added on "_in one form or another_," was muttered and Cad didn't quite catch it.

_It's time_, he thought to himself as he stared at the way she squeezed his hands. Taking a deep breath, as stealthily as he could, Cad surreptitiously began to stroke the knuckles on both of her hands with his thumbs. It was subtle and could be considered an unconscious action if she really wasn't interested but he hoped she understood what it meant.

"Cass… there's, erm… another reason I'm worried. I want to tell you something but I really don't know where to start."

Dorcas looked up, feeling a little affronted that there was something he maybe hadn't trusted her with. She had her own secrets of course but that was different; a family curse she was oath-bound not to reveal to anyone was hardly the same thing as keeping something a secret on purpose.

He must have realised her agitation that he'd kept something from her because he grasped her hands tighter and sighed.

"It's not something I've done… well, I suppose it sort of is but I'm just scared if I tell you what it is, you'll turn your back on me. I'm not sure I could bare that."

Dorcas narrowed her eyes on her best friend and gave him an appraising look. He squirmed under her scrutiny.

"What have I ever done, Caradoc Dearborn, to make you think I would ever turn my back on you?"

"Nothing. It's just… this is… well… this is sort of different to things I've done before."

Something suddenly clicked in Dorcas's mind and her eyes widened in realsisation.

"Is this about a girl, Cad? Do you like someone and you think I won't approve of her? Is she a Slytherin? It's not one of the Black sisters is it?" She scrunched her face in disgust at the idea.

"Yes, it's about a girl. No, I don't think you won't approve of her but I do think you might disapprove my idea of changing what my relationship with her is at the moment. She's definitely not a Slytherin, never mind one of the Black sisters. Aren't they all married now anyway and to Death Eaters?

"Ok." Dorcas accepted what he was saying so far even as her heart sank at the thought of him being interested in someone other than her. With a last look over his impressive chaser physique and thick, long, gingery hair, she allowed her hope to die that he would ever look at her as anything other than a best friend and steeled herself to be good at that role. "So… who is she? Do I know her?"

"Yes you know her. Very well actually."

"Well, come on then. Don't keep me in suspense." Dorcas said, feigning excitement as she discovered that inside she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

She's… well, she's… erm…"

"Spit it out, lad." Came the voice of Dorcas's Uncle Argus from the kitchen doorway. "You'll never get into her robes if you beat around the bush."

Caradoc blushed at the idea while Dorcas laughed at her uncle's suggestion and at Cad's embarrassment.

"Give it a rest, uncle." She sent an amused glare at Argus. "Cad isn't one for sharing these sorts of feelings. At least try to be a little understanding. I think it's sweet that he's nervous to tell me he likes someone."

"And will you still think it's sweet when he tells you that it's you he has these sorts of feelings for?" Argus replied, always one to get right to the point, and meddle worse than Albus Dumbledore.

"WHAT?" Dorcas yelled incredulously at her uncle. "He's not talking about me."

She turned back to face Cad who sat wide eyed and gobsmacked as Argus shuffled back into the rest of the house and she distinctly heard him muttering something along the lines of "stupid bloody hormonal kids".

"You're not talking about me, are you?" she inquired, truly expecting him to answer in the negative.

When he didn't answer at all and she saw a blush racing over his face, redder than the Gryffindor rubies, her heart rate tripled and she found herself sporting a matching blush. Maybe there was hope after all.

"Cad?" she asked.

"Erm… yeah." He answered sheepishly, his eyes dropping back to the butterbeer bottle in his right hand as his left grasped the back of his neck in the nervous gesture she'd known him to have since he developed hormones.

Minds lost in recent confessions and discoveries as they were, both practically jumped out of their skins as the familiar tapping of beak on glass caught their ears. Grateful for the distraction, even if it almost came at the cost of a heart attack, a pair of reeling rich chocolate eyes and a pair of mortified sapphire ones snapped towards the window.

Dorcas waved her wand toward the frame and the window swung open, letting in the large tawny owl. It swooped to ward Dorcas and held out its leg for her to untie her load – two very formal looking envelopes with Ministry seals on the backs.

"Cad will you grab the owl treats please from the cupboard under the window. I don't think Uncle Argus topped the bowl up this week."

"Yeah sure," he said distractedly and went to do as he was told.

"Thanks." She said, also distracted, both by the weight of their recent conversation and the exam results she held in her hands.

Once the bird was gone and they were both sitting back at the table, staring at the envelopes in the middle, Cad couldn't take the tension anymore.

"So…" he said, but stopped short, unable how to carry on.

"So?" She parroted back.

"So, results then talk or talk then results?" He asked, nervously.

"Results first, I think. We haven't talked about the other thing before so waiting another ten minutes won't hurt. I don't think I can stand the anticipation for my NEWT scores."

"I'm not sure which is more terrifying… telling you what I just told you or finding out my NEWT scores."

"_You_ didn't actually tell me anything. Uncle Argus did. Where's all your Gryffindor bravery Cad?" She asked, letting him hear in her tone that she was attempting to be funny. Inside she was practically giddy.

"I'm concentrating all my bravery on opening that letter at the moment."

"Do you want me to do it for you?"

"No, it's fine. I can do it." He said with a little more confidence than over the last ten minutes.

As he reached for his envelope, she reached for her and their fingertips brushed slightly. Both blushes were renewed with full force.

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**A/N: Well this is a bit of a departure for my usual type of writing. It's certainly a departure in characters but I suppose that is the point of a challenge – even if I have to at least mention Snape and Hermione in every single story I write.**

**The idea of this being a part of Minerva's Memoirs struck me as adorable. Her writing her memoirs is something I have always thought would be a wonderful fic but I am going to use it as an umbrella for any challenge fics I take on – with the exception of Blood to Blood which will be a stand alone collection.**

**Under the rules of the Barbequed Muggle Kebob's Event, I only have until the end of June to complete this fic, so expect more soon.**

**Please Read and Review; your thoughts and comments are appreciated 99% of the time. :D**

**Moon Out.**

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Series: The Memoirs of Minerva McGonagall


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